


Second Chance

by hearden



Series: Legacy of Power [2]
Category: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Power Rangers
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-01
Updated: 2018-08-01
Packaged: 2019-01-26 12:32:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12557452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hearden/pseuds/hearden
Summary: Before Kimberly Hart and Tommy Oliver came to Angel Grove to investigate five new teenagers with attitude, they had a story that started with a greeting and ended with a letter. Eighteen years later, it begins again over the aftermath of a legendary battle.(A prequel to Legacy of Power.)





	1. Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> listen i know i'm not done w/ legacy of power yet but this is part of my nanowrimo project bc it's less Weighty than legacy is so ANYWAY writing is hard and i wanna die
> 
> this is styled in vignettes sorta so like yeah it's pretty chill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the aftermath of the Armada invasion, Kimberly and Tommy begin again.

**April 2014 - Paris, France**

A flash of pink light.

Kimberly Hart appears out of thin air and falls with a yelp, landing flat on her back in the middle of her living room, narrowly missing smashing into her coffee table. She blinks once, twice, unsure of what to make of what just happened.

For a moment, there's no sound except for her shallow breathing.

Then, a bell jingles somewhere in the house, followed by the soft tapping of claws against hardwood.

Kimberly waits, unwilling to get up because her back is starting to ache and her brain is still processing, as her cat pads into the living room. P.C. steps up to her, warily, and nudges her with his nose. She raises her hand and manages to scratch him behind the ears for a second before he darts off to another part of the house, his bell jingling the entire way.

Her phone buzzes in her pocket, and Kimberly fishes it out, tossing it on the floor beside her head. It buzzes again, and another text lights up the screen. Sighing, she picks it up and unlocks it, recognizing Kat's name on the lock screen.

_[KS 12:32 AM] Holy crap!!!_

_[KS 12:32 AM] That just happened right?????_

Kimberly chuckles to herself and thumbs out a response.

_[KH 12:32 AM] Guess so. You okay?_

_[KH 12:32 AM] I almost broke my coffee table. ):_

She's barely sent her last text when Kat's caller ID pops up on the screen. Raising an eyebrow, she answers it, also, with a sigh.

"Do you know what time it is?" she huffs.

 _"Who cares about bedtimes?"_ comes Kat's incredulous reply, _"We just helped put down an alien_ **_invasion_ ** _, Kimberly! God, I feel_ **_great_ ** _. Whew. I haven't felt this great since--"_

Kimberly holds the phone away from her ear as Kat lets out a whoop on her side.

She puts the phone back to her ear just in time to hear shuffling and a muffled _"Kat, gimme--"_

 _"Hey, Kim,"_ Kat's enthusiasm is replaced by Tanya's cool demeanor, _"Sorry about that. She's, uh, excited, I guess."_

Kimberly laughs, restraining the sinking feeling in her stomach. "Yeah," she says, slowly, "I mean, it was quite a rush, fighting beside everyone again and, you know, being in the suit again." She pulls herself into a sitting position and rubs her free hand over her face, "Uh, listen, Tanya, this was, um, is nice, but it's late over here, so, uh, you know…"

 _"Oh! Yeah, sure, sorry, Kimberly-- Hm?"_ Kimberly hears Kat say something in the background then Tanya's back, chuckling, _"Kat's had some water, calmed down a bit. She says she wants to say something to you."_

"M'kay."

More shuffling. Kat starts, _"Okay, so, before I say anything--"_

"I don't like the way that sounds," Kimberly mutters, biting on her lower lip, "No."

_"You haven't even heard me out."_

Kimberly soaks in the silence for a moment then realization dawns on her, and she hisses through the phone, "Absolutely _not._ "

Kat's protest comes loud and clear through the phone, _"Oh, come on, Kim, it's a perfect time to talk to him again--"_

She tries to harden her voice, but it just comes out tired, "Kat… it's been so long."

_"Which is why now's the perfect time. You even have a reason to talk to him."_

"C'mon, you know how it goes," Kimberly whines, running a hand frustratedly through her hair, "I say I'll do it tomorrow and then tomorrow becomes next week and then I get busy and blink and, suddenly, it's been almost two decades.

"We haven't said a word to each other in almost two decades, Kat. It's not…" she sighs, "It's not worth it."

Kat is silent on the other side as she contemplates. When she speaks, Kimberly winces, feeling the words cut into her heart like a razor, _"Your friends aren't worth it?"_

"That's-- You _know_ that's not what I meant," Kimberly sputters, frowning.

_"What did you mean then?"_

"It's just… I need time," she lies, hating the taste it brings to her tongue.

 _"And we've given you time,"_ Kat reassures, softly, _"You know I'd give you all the time in the world, Kimberly."_

Kimberly swallows her heart, "I should get to bed."

_"You should think about it. And, then, you should do it."_

"Good _night,_ Kat."

_"Night, Kim. Tanya says to sleep well."_

The other line clicks, and Kimberly is left holding a silent phone to her ear. She breathes in. She breathes out. Then, she gets up and trudges to her bedroom.

 

* * *

 

**Reefside, California**

A flash of green light.

Tommy Oliver faceplants on the floor of his underground lab, groaning as his face presses against the tiled floor.

"Awesome," he mutters.

The stairwell to the lab creak as they lower into place, and Kira comes bounding down the steps, grinning and looking unnecessarily peppy.

"Hey, Dr. O," she greets, smiling down at him, "You're late. Tori and I came back, like, half an hour ago."

"Missed the train," he huffs, taking the hand that she offers to him and getting to his feet, and says, dryly, "You know how the Morphing Grid is."

"Yeah, speaking of the Grid," Kira draws out. Tommy tenses and raises an eyebrow, sensing something coming.

"What?" he asks, warily.

"Well," she clasps her hands together, almost in a proposition-like manner, "Kat told Adam who told Tori who told me…"

He waits.

"That it's a good idea for you to hit Kim up," Kira finishes.

Tommy blinks, " _Kat_ said that?"

Kira nods.

"And why would I do that?"

"Because…" Kira fumbles for an answer, "It's a nice time to reconnect with your friends? And you haven't talked to each other in a long, long while?"

Tommy snorts and shrugs, uncomfortably shoving his hands in his pockets, "Kira, we… we fell out of touch. If we haven't talked again by now, it's probably best to just, you know, leave it alone."

Kira reaches over and punches him in the shoulder.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"Kat would've wanted me to do it," Kira says, pointedly.

Just at that moment, Tommy's phone buzzes in his pocket, and he slides it out, glancing at the message on the screen.

_[KS 3:39 PM] Thomas Oliver._

_[KS 3:39 PM] Talk to her._

Tommy holds his phone up and narrows his eyes at Kira, "Did you two plan this?"

"Plan what?" she asks, blinking at him innocently, then pats him on the shoulder, "Tori's making food upstairs, so I'm gonna go check that out, but think about it, Dr. O."

Kira disappears back up the stairs, and they recede back into the ceiling behind her, leaving Tommy standing alone in the middle of the lab.

His phone buzzes again.

_[KS 3:40 PM] I know you're thinking about not doing it, Tommy._

_[KS 3:40 PM] Do. It._

 

* * *

 

Her bedroom is still in the mess she had left it when the call had come, late at night for her but in the middle of the afternoon for Harwood County. Kimberly picks up a shirt from off of the floor and throws it into her laundry hamper with unerring accuracy. Her walk-in closet door is wide open, so she strides right in and starts stripping, letting her sweat-soaked clothes fall to the ground. She'll pick them up tomorrow… eventually.

First, her jacket and socks. Then, her shirt and bra.

Her jeans land on the carpeted floor with a soft _thud._ Kimberly freezes, her heart dropping down between her feet and crumpling along with her jeans. She bends down and brushes her fingers against the cool metal of the morpher strapped to the back of her belt.

She picks it up. It's heavy in her hands and bigger than her palm as it's always been.

 _Breathe in, breathe out,_ she thinks.

It doesn't work.

Chest constricting, Kimberly throws the morpher, sending it skidding and clunking against the wall with another _thud._ There's bound to be some scratches, either on the morpher or the wall or probably both, in the morning, but she figures that's for her to deal with in the morning.

Taking her phone out of her jeans, Kimberly grabs a random pair of pajamas from her dresser and slips them on, turning off her closet light as she walks out and flops down on top of the covers of her bed.

She _should_ get up and brush her teeth. Maybe take a shower since she spent all night -- afternoon, whatever -- brutally kicking alien ass, but there's a long list of things she _should_ be doing.

And, here she is, doing none of them.

Her phone buzzes. Kimberly picks it up, squinting at the bright screen in the dim lighting of her bedroom.

_[TO 12:45 AM] Hey._

Oh.

Oh, _no._

She pulls up Kat's messages, instead, and types out a short text.

_[KH 12:45 AM] I know what you did. ): < _

Kat's response comes back suspiciously quick.

_[KS 12:45 AM] I haven't the slightest clue what you're talking about._

_[KS 12:45 AM] Also, you should talk to him._

_[KH 12:45 AM] STOP._

A notification slides down from the top of her screen.

_[TO 12:46 AM] How are you?_

Kimberly loudly sighs, "Fuck."

 

* * *

 

"You know," Tori quips, waving his own spaghetti spoon -- or, more appropriately, spork -- at him, "If you squeeze your phone any tighter, you're gonna break it."

"Shut up," Tommy mutters, frowning sullenly, "You guys all suck."

He's standing in his kitchen, leaning against the fridge, while Tori uses _his_ pot to make dinner from _his_ pantry while giving him advice on _his_ own life.

Kira dangles her legs, sitting up on the counter next to the stove, and grins smugly at him, "Hey, our advice is good. It's married advice. Which also means Kat's advice is good, too -- probably the best, even."

Tommy scoffs, shaking his head and switching to the Facebook app to scroll aimlessly until Kimberly, hopefully, responds, "Just because you're _married_ doesn't mean you give good advice. I wouldn't trust Andros with anything besides my back in battle."

"He's a guy," Tori says with a shrug, not turning around to acknowledge him, "It's different."

"Uh-huh."

"Girls give the best advice on everything, and that's a fact," Kira states with a straight face, "I don't make the rules."

"Uh-huh," Tommy repeats, pursing his lips, "I have a feeling that you might."

His phone buzzes in his hand, and a notification slides down from the top of the screen.

Kira hops off of the counter, making a gleeful noise, "Is that her? What'd she say?"

Tommy glances at Tori to avoid looking at his phone. "This can't be the most exciting thing in her life," he deadpans.

Tori chuckles as she stirs the noodles inside the boiling pot, "It is, for right now, unless you can go find us another alien invasion to stop."

"I'll pass, thanks."

He chances a look at his phone.

_[KH 3:50 PM] Hey. I'm okay. Tired._

Tommy glares at Kira, accusingly. "She's _tired,_ " he whines in annoyance, but he's not quite sure at what -- probably at both him _and_ Kira and maybe Kat, too.

"She still texted back, though," Kira points out, raising her eyebrows at him.

"It's late over there," he counters.

Come to think of it, Tommy isn't entirely sure where there is. Somewhere in France, he would assume, but it's been awhile since he's had full details of where Kimberly lives.

He types out an apologetic response.

_[TO 3:51 PM] Sorry for texting you at this time. Didn't realize it was late over there._

The cursor blinks over the empty message line, taunting him.

_[TO 3:51 PM] Talk to you later?_

 

* * *

 

Kimberly's usually in bed a little before now, so she lets her phone sit on her bedside table and rests her head back on her pillow, hoping that Tommy wouldn't text back so that she could go to sleep and deal with all of this… later.

As she naturally does.

However, her phone buzzes in rapid succession, and the speed at which she sits up and grabs it is utterly embarrassing and makes her glad that she lives alone. Well, alone with a cat, which is arguably not any better.

She stares at Tommy's texts, inhaling sharply.

 _It's okay,_ she types then adds, _You're okay._

Her heart speeds up a little. "Be cool," she reminds herself to no avail.

_[KH 12:51 AM] Yeah, later would be nice._

She hesitates… but pushes forward.

_[KH 12:52 AM] Goodnight, Tommy._

A moment later, his reply appears.

_[TO 12:52 AM] Goodnight, Kimberly._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's the tomberly playlist i made for inspiration: https://open.spotify.com/user/gallifreyians/playlist/6s4JnCy4fbUxeEDwjjVjgr


	2. Overture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With their whole futures ahead of them, Tommy meets Kimberly Hart for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> all chapters/vignettes def won't have the same length (and modern day tomberly will probs have longer length than 90s tomberly) 
> 
> and also i hope u know that i feel physical pain when i write tomberly being awkward and nervous like The Worst

**September 1993 - Angel Grove, California**

"You're new here, aren't you?"

Tommy swallows his nerves and nods a few times too many, "Yeah, I'm Tommy."

Kimberly smiles and offers her hand forward. He stares at it for a moment then comes to himself and shakes her hand. "Sorry," he mumbles.

"You're good." Oh, her smile is _so_ pretty. She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and holds her books a little tighter, "Hey, listen, do you wanna get together with some of us after school? You know, nothing major, just hang out at the youth center?"

"Uh," he lets his eyes linger on her waiting smile a second too long, and his resolve breaks, "Yeah, that sounds cool."

"Okay," she nods.

"Well, uh, see you then," he nods, too, feeling like a bobblehead, "Bye."

"Bye," she calls after him, and Tommy jogs up the stairs to his next class with a bounce in his step.

 

* * *

 

The neighborhood is asleep and quiet, the night sky full and infinite.

Kimberly swings her arms as she walks, her skirt flowing with each light step that she takes. She twirls once and laughs when she catches Tommy smiling at her then quickly glancing away. "What?" she asks, grinning from ear to ear.

"You're so…" he falters, "Everywhere."

She giggles and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, even though she knows it's her tell -- she keeps meaning to, but it's hard to shake something that is a part of her being, "I'm celebrating, you know?"

"Celebrating," Tommy echoes. He glances down at the green communicator on his left wrist and shoves his hands into his pockets. The communicator disappears from view.

"Yeah," Kimberly slows her walk, still swinging her arms back and forth, and turns around, going backward with every step forward that Tommy takes.

"Don't trip," Tommy murmurs, raising an eyebrow, "Or, you know, run into a lamppost."

She winks, chuckling when Tommy visibly starts at that, "Are you gonna catch me if I do?"

Tommy shakes his head, pushing his hands deeper into his pockets, "If I'm coordinated enough, I guess."

Kimberly stops, abruptly, and Tommy follows suit before he bumps into her. She looks up at him and tilts her head. "I trust you," she says, softly.

"Oh. Cool." He glances away then back at her.

"To catch me," she clarifies.

"Right."

Kimberly nods and turns on her heel, resuming her stride. "I'm just up here 'round the corner," she calls over her shoulder. Tommy makes a noise of acknowledgement.

They walk the rest of the way in silence, all up to Kimberly's front porch. Kimberly wrings her hands together. Tommy scuffs the bottom of his shoe on the steps.

"So, uh, this is me," Kimberly says.

"Nice house," Tommy comments, looking at his shoes.

"Mhm," she mumbles noncommittally, "See you tomorrow. Night."

Tommy nods, "Uh, yeah, night."

"Oh, wait, um--" Tommy stops, about to turn and leave, when she calls out. "I just, um--" Kimberly uncertainly holds her arms out, and slow realization dawns on Tommy's face.

" _Oh._ Uh, yeah, sure." He gives her a hug that ends way too quickly and is way too lukewarm for her taste, but she can't do anything about that just now. "Night, Kimberly."

She watches his green silhouette disappear around the corner and hugs herself tightly, "Night, Tommy."

 

* * *

 

A hand on his shoulder makes him look up from the floor of the Command Center.

Kimberly looks down at him, her helmet gone, long, brown hair flowing down her shoulders. Her gloves are off. She squeezes his shoulder, reassuringly. "Hey, we did good," she says, softly.

"Monster got away," Tommy mutters, frowning. He clenches and unclenches his fists, his gloves stopping him from pressing crescent shapes into his palms like he wants to.

She shakes her head and chuckles, "You sound _just_ like Jason."

He raises an eyebrow but stays silent.

"Listen," Kimberly sits down next to him, leaning against the wall, keeping a few inches of space between them, "We still saved lives, and that's what matters. The monster will come back -- it always does -- and when it does, we'll be ready for it, right?"

"Right," Tommy nods, giving her a small smile that she returns with a bright one of her own.

"Hey," she nudges him in the side, "What d'you say, after this, we go hit up the arcade or something? You bring a quarter, I bring a quarter, we'll shoot some aliens or something."

Tommy snorts and rolls his eyes, "You wanna go from fighting aliens to shooting them?"

"Well, the ones at Wiggy Woggle don't hit so hard," she teases.

He has to laugh at that, "Yeah, uh, I'd like that. It'd be nice--"

_BRRRRRRRRR!_

The alarm sounds, and Tommy stiffens. Kimberly reaches over and grabs his helmet from where it sits next to his feet and holds it out to him, his reflection staring back at him in the visor, "Duty calls." 


	3. Hours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been a long time, enough for them both to forget how hard distance really is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there's some day skips? timeskips but over days? in this chapter but i tried to make them Obvious so i hope that's clear enough
> 
> anyway here have some light angst

**May 2014**

_[HZ 12:03 AM] okay, it should be good now_

_[KH 12:03 AM] How SURE is "should" though…_

_[KH 12:03 AM] Hayley I swear to God if I get charged for this call _______

_[KH 12:04 AM] Fill in the blank._

_[HZ 12:04 AM] you'll love me forever?_

Kimberly nearly drops her phone on her face when the screen brightly lights up, Hayley's caller ID flashing at her. She answers with a grumpy huff, pulling her sheets tighter around her body.

"If I'm paying for this call--"

 _"If you're paying for this call, I'll pay you back,"_ Hayley's exasperated voice comes through the other side of the phone, _"Promise, Kim, okay?"_

She concedes, "Fine."

 _"Okay, good. I'll fix Tommy's phone later tonight, but for now--"_ Shuffling sounds fill Kimberly's ear, and she vaguely hears muffled voices and what must be the closing of a door.

Then, Kimberly hears it -- _his_ breathing, distinct and as uncertain as she feels. She hasn't heard it in years, but she knows him well enough, has heard his breathing for long enough, that she can tell he's trying a bit too hard to stay calm, which naturally has the opposite effect.

"Hey," she whispers, softly. She has no reason to, but it feels like a secret that she's holding onto right now -- this moment.

Tommy chuckles, a little nervously. _"Hey,"_ he says back.

 

* * *

 

Hours later, after catching up, after gymnastics and grad school and Ranger business and talking about everything except what neither of them have mentioned for weeks now, Tommy is still nervous. His anxiety manifests as a tight ball that's uncomfortably coiled up, and it's definitely loosened after talking for awhile with Kimberly, but there's still…

There's still things like love and relationships and the break-up that they haven't gone anywhere near. Too new to being friends again, not quite ready to touch those yet.

He's halfway into telling Kimberly about the time when Conner and Ethan decided to prank Kira by filling one of her guitars -- thankfully, not her _favorite_ guitar -- with expanding foam when he realizes that Kimberly hasn't made a sound in a few minutes.

"Kimberly?"

No response.

"Hello? Kim?" He snaps his fingers a few times next to the mouthpiece, but there's no sound of acknowledgement on the other side.

A little disappointed but still understanding, Tommy chuckles and hangs up, "Goodnight, Kimberly."

 

* * *

 

A series of rings from his pocket interrupt him in the middle of talking to someone important that he honestly doesn't remember the name of, despite having been introduced a short fifteen minutes ago.

Tommy's simultaneously grateful for the brief distraction yet too busy and _everywhere_ to really focus on taking any call right now.

Kimberly's caller ID flashes at him, and he hits the talk button, bringing the phone up to his ear, "Hey, Kim."

 _"Mornin'."_ comes Kimberly's groggy, sleep-ridden voice, _"What're you up to?"_

"Uh," Tommy glances around and sees the man he'd been talking to earlier motioning at him, now surrounded by a few more men and women, all in nicer clothes than what he's currently wearing, "I'm actually… at a conference right now."

There's a pause. Then, Kimberly asks, uncertainly, _"Oh. I thought that was next week?"_

"Mm, nope, this week," he mumbles.

He can practically hear Kimberly's disappointment over the phone. "Kim, I'm sorry--" he starts, but she cuts him off.

 _"No, it's okay, Tommy,"_ she says; he can picture her shaking her head, putting everyone else before herself, _"I got the dates mixed up, it's fine."_

He hesitates, looking at the group that he's supposed to be talking research with, "No, Kim, I can-- I can leave." The moment he says that, he furrows his eyebrows, confused at himself. Leave? Now? And never get an invite ever again because he's just a high school teacher with a weird track record?

 _"Tommy, it's fine. I swear. Have fun, alright?"_ Her tone is clipped. He _knows_ this voice.

"Kim--"

_"Night."_

The line clicks.

He sighs, "Bye."

The coil of nerves in his stomach becoming tighter, Tommy opens up the world clock on his phone, his heart sinking when he reads _5:46 AM - Paris._

 

* * *

 

**New York City, New York**

"It's stupid," Kimberly mutters, pacing around the living room.

"You said that already," Tanya points out from the couch, where Kat is laying across her lap, feet propped up on the armrest.

Kimberly grumbles and comes to a halt, crossing her arms. "Well, I'm saying it _again,_ " she repeats, petulantly, "It's stupid."

"Maybe -- hear me out," Kat chimes in, sitting up and pointing a finger at Kimberly, "Maybe you're pissed because you like him."

"That's the _stupidest_ fucking thing I've ever heard."

Kat raises an eyebrow at her, "You know you curse more when I'm right, right?"

Kimberly frowns. "Well, _maybe_ I'm pissed because I woke up hours early to talk to a _friend_ and it backfired, so I'm just overall grumpy."

"Because you like him and he was too busy to appreciate the sacrifice you made," Tanya adds, shrugging when Kimberly narrows her eyes at her, "Here's a thought. Why don't you just, I don't know, teleport to Reefside and talk to him?"

Kat snorts, "There's an idea. I mean, you've already made it halfway here, so why not just go the rest of the way?"

Kimberly grinds her heel into the Sloans' rug, rolling her eyes. "Because Gosei doesn't like it when I ask Emma to teleport me around the world," she mumbles, taking on a mocking tone, "It's an _irresponsible use of power_ and _a former Power Ranger like me should be used to setting better examples._

"Besides," she continues, looking at the floor, "I don't-- I'm not ready to, you know, _see_ him yet. I think."

"Sounds like you like him to me," Kat says.

Kimberly ignores her and pulls her phone out, shooting off a text to Emma. A few seconds later, she feels her body dematerialize in a swirl of pink light, and she reappears shortly back in her bedroom.

Her phone buzzes in her hands.

_[KS 5:55 PM] You can't just teleport away when you don't want to hear what I'm saying!!!_

_[KS 5:55 PM] RUDE._

 

* * *

 

Tomorrow is a Saturday, so Tommy stays up Friday night, waiting as the hours tick by. He's been done grading papers for awhile, now, so there's not much else he can do besides browse Netflix -- and wait.

It's eight in the morning in Paris. A Saturday means that Kimberly would sleep in.

Tommy manages about another hour and a half of half-hearted TV consumption before being jolted awake by his phone buzzing.

There's a crick in his neck from falling asleep on the couch at a weird angle. He groans as he glances at the screen.

_[KH 3:07 AM] Afternoon. Just woke up. Whoops._

He starts typing, but Kimberly's texts interrupt him.

_[KH 3:07 AM] Uh, Thomas Oliver, I see you typing._

_[KH 3:07 AM] Go to sleep! ): < _

_[TO 3:08 AM] I WILL if you take one breath and chill._

_[TO 3:08 AM] Just one lol._

_[KH 3:08 AM] Okay. I took one breath. :)_

He hesitates, just for a second, but hits the call button, anyway.

_"Hey."_

"Hey," he murmurs, not really thinking, "I just wanted to hear your voice."

Kimberly chuckles, _"Want me to sing you a lullaby?"_

He snorts, "That'd be too weird."

_"Would it really?"_

Tommy doesn't answer for a moment, sitting in the silence. "I tried to stay up," he offers, quietly, "For you."

Kimberly laughs, light as a feather, and his heart thumps loudly in his chest, _"That worked out great for you, didn't it?"_

"Uh, not really," he says, chuckling, "I fell asleep after one or so. But, I wanted to make up for when you woke up early for me last week."

 _"Oh."_ Then, _"It's okay, Tommy. I'm over it. We're okay."_

"I just feel bad--" he starts, but she cuts him off.

_"I forgive you, okay? Just say okay."_

"Um, okay."

_"Get some rest. I'll talk to you later, alright? It's Saturday. I'll be up late."_

Tommy nods, even though she can't see him do so, "Yeah, alright."

_"Goodnight, Tommy."_

"Goodnight, Kimberly." 


	4. Minutes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They begin and end with a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one's specifically for @kimberlyannharts on tumblr and her tomberly-lovin' ass
> 
> also i really hate power rangers continuity because time and seasons don't exist in power rangers ever and holiday specials (esp in the 90s) are the most unreliable things to use as time-passage markers

**September 1993**

She spends _way_ too much time getting ready for it to be considered feasible. Despite that, the earrings she picked out this morning don't make Kimberly feel any more confident in herself as she spots Tommy practicing karate by the lakeside in the park and walks closer.

He's still wearing green, she notes, which is a good sign. Probably. Maybe.

Not knowing what to do with her hands, she fidgets, wringing them together and waiting, not wanting to interrupt his routine.

He finally does notice her, a bright splash of pink out of the corner of his eye, and turns around, a small smile coming onto his face.

Her heart does a very, very odd twist, and she nervously tucks her hair behind her ear. "They said back at the gym that I'd find you here," Kimberly says, returning his smile with one of her own.

"Yeah," Tommy hops down from the rocks he was standing on, "I like practicing outside sometimes. You know, smell the fresh air."

She nods. It does feel nice out here today. But there's always something missing for her. "How are you?" she asks, her brow slightly creasing in concern.

"I'm hanging," he says, shoving his hands in his pockets and shrugging, "I've been working on my karate. Focusing on my schoolwork. I'm just trying to keep busy."

There's always that. Kimberly's seen him every now and then in passing in the hallway but never had a chance to say hi to him. It's… different seeing him just walk off to class while she and the others make up some excuse to run off and morph.

"We miss you," she says, too casually, hating how it doesn't sound heartfelt enough on her tongue.

"Yeah," Tommy glances at the ground; shuffles his feet, "You guys were a team long before I showed up. It'll all be back to normal before long."

Kimberly fiddles with her communicator. Her stomach churns. "I… _I_ miss you," she murmurs, half-wishing she could swallow her own words.

Tommy blinks. Tommy _realizes,_ and she shifts from foot to foot, wanting to fall into the earth. Or the lake sounds good, too.

He takes her hand, stopping her fidgeting, and leans down to her. Heart pounding, she stands up on the tips of her toes and closes the space between them.

The kiss is short and sweet, and Kimberly doesn't notice at all that it doesn't taste like forever.

When Tommy pulls back, he lets out a loud sigh of relief that has Kimberly chuckling. "I've been wanting to do that for a long time," he says, shaking his head.

Heart still racing, she grins at him, bright as the sun, "Me too."

 

* * *

 

**July 1996**

The airport is just a few degrees under chilly, enough for her to be wearing Tommy's jacket because all of hers are kinda in her luggage already.

The same jacket that she's trying to give back now.

Her arms are already cold and raised with goosebumps.

In hindsight, Kimberly doesn't always plan ahead well, sometimes.

"Keep it," Tommy insists, trying to push the jacket back into her hands.

There's something in her heart that wants to be let out.

She shakes her head and lets go of the jacket. Instead, he wraps it around her shoulders, and she pouts.

"You're cold," he murmurs, "Keep it for the flight."

"It's yours," she counters, uselessly.

It's a green plaid hoodie that's basically almost three sizes too large for her. He hasn't worn it in a long, long time. In fact, she's worn it in the past few years more than he has.

"It'll be like I'm giving you a hug from far away," Tommy says, giving her a small smile.

Her throat closes up, not letting her heart out, and she grabs the edges of the jacket, pulling it closer around her.

"Thanks," Kimberly mumbles. It's not-- it's not what she _wants_ to say.

"Tommy," she tries again, "I--"

Their eyes meet, and she falls silent, willing that he could hear how hard her heart is trying to jump out of her chest and throat.

"I believe in you," he says, instead, and gives her a kiss on her forehead, "You can do this."

She nods and leans up on the tips of her toes and kisses him on the lips, one last time, sighing into it. When she pulls back, she uses the sleeve of his jacket to wipe away the tears that are starting.

"Thank you," Kimberly says, smiling fondly, "I'll call you when I land, okay?"

"Looking forward to it."

He squeezes her hand for the last time, and she turns to leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i may have screamed while writing this, it wasn't pretty


	5. Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy doesn't know what we wants this to be yet, but he knows that it's something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woop woop two chapters in one day? i haven't done this in months wow what a roll

**May 2014**

Tommy tries not to think about what time it is in Paris as he answers the Skype video call.

It's bright in Kimberly's living room -- she's sitting on her couch and has all the lights on for a particular reason, he would guess.

"Hey," he says, butterflies fluttering in his stomach, "Haven't seen you in awhile."

Kimberly laughs and shakes her head; he holds in a breath. God, it's been so long since he's  _ actually _ seen her. The last time, they'd both been morphed, and he'd been too distracted talking to the Mega Rangers to notice where she was. And, the time before that, had been at Trini's funeral, and they hadn't said a word to each other because she had left too fast, kept herself too closed off.

It feels surreal like seeing a ghost.

Her hair is still to her shoulders. Eyes still soft and kind. She hasn't aged a day.

_ "Very funny," _ she says then tilts her head, commenting,  _ "You lost the ponytail. And got a haircut." _

"Uh, yeah," Tommy runs a hand over his cropped hair, suddenly quite conscious of it, "Yesterday, actually. The haircut -- not losing the ponytail."

She chuckles,  _ "I know, Tommy. You told me last night. Or yesterday."  _ She frowns and waves a hand,  _ "Time doesn't exist anymore." _

She isn't wearing pink, he notices, but rather just a plain red t-shirt. Tommy glances down, having forgotten what he put on for work this morning, at his green flannel. He hasn't quite settled on a color after the Armada yet. It doesn't feel right to just wear one color once he's retired, but it also doesn't feel right to keep flitting around.

Makes him wonder when in the world he started caring so much about his wardrobe.

"Speaking of time," he says, "What time is it over there?"

Kimberly answers by moving her laptop off of her lap and placing it on her coffee table. She grabs a coffee mug and sips from it.

It's a soft pink and has a big, cursive  _ K _ on it in gold.

The mug, not the coffee.

She notices him looking and gestures at the mug,  _ "Emma gave this to me this morning. Isn't that sweet? She said she had a gift for me. Because, and I quote, I'm so great and she loves me." _

Tommy raises an eyebrow, "Does this mean I can expect Orion to drop by sometime later tonight?"

Kimberly snorts and rolls her eyes.  _ "I don't think so," _ she teases, grinning playfully over the rim of her mug,  _ "I've got a special effect on people." _

He doesn't say anything but smiles at that.

_ "How was your day?" _ she asks, taking another sip then sets the mug down.

Tommy shrugs, "Good, I guess. Just classes, traffic. Boring stuff."

_ "You have to have friends at school,"  _ Kimberly says, dryly,  _ "Nothing's boring." _

"I have friends," he argues, indignantly, but she looks, amusedly, like she doesn't believe him. "Fine," he mutters, pretending to be sullen, "How was  _ your _ day then?"

She lights up and practically bounces in her seat; he chuckles and raises an eyebrow, "That good, then?"

_ "Oh, so much better than good,"  _ she gets off of the couch, and he hears her distant voice calling out as she goes into another room,  _ "I wanted to wait until now so you could see it, but this came in the mail this morning…" _

Kimberly comes bounding back into the room, excitedly plopping down on the couch, a book in her hands. Proudly smiling, she holds out the cover to him, making sure that her webcam catches it all.  _ "It's my proof! Of the book I told you I was close to publishing!" _

He sees her name on the cover and grins, ignoring that his heart swells with pride. "Well, would you look at that… you're famous," he teases, "Good job."

Kimberly rolls her eyes and puts the book down on the coffee table,  _ "It came in the mail this afternoon, so I went to go see Kira and we went over it together--" _

Tommy's brow furrows. "You went to go see Kira? In Blue Bay?" he asks, curiously.

She pauses then blinks,  _ "Oh. Yeah, I did. I called Emma and asked her to teleport me." _

He snorts, "I bet Gosei didn't like that." Then, he straightens up in his seat, his nerves coiling up in his stomach, "Do you do that a lot? Ask Emma to teleport you somewhere?"

Kimberly picks her mug back up and takes a sip of coffee -- stalling, he can tell,  _ "Only twice. I went to see Kat and Tanya awhile ago. Well, I mean, it's four times, if you count the trip to somewhere and then when she takes me back home." _

"You were in Blue Bay, and you didn't say anything."

_ "You were at work,"  _ she says with a shrug, not looking at him.

_ It doesn't matter, _ he almost counters, but the thing is that it  _ does _ matter.

It matters that they're  _ friends, _ and the fact that Kimberly was a mere hours away and didn't say anything makes his insides prickle.

Setting her mug back down on the table, Kimberly clasps her hands in her lap and shrugs, finally giving an actual response his question and, also, at the same time, changing the subject.  _ "It's two in the morning," _ she sighs,  _ "I'm sure your phone can tell you that. Or the Internet." _

Well, she's not wrong about that. But he already knew what time it was.

Tommy doesn't say anything, just leans back in his chair and stares at her, his head instinctively tilting to the side as he comes to a realization.

"It's happening again," he states, plainly, and Kimberly inhales so sharply that he can feel it in his chest.

She doesn't meet his eyes and takes a nervous sip of coffee.

Damn, now  _ he _ wants coffee, and he hasn't even had dinner yet.

"I'm gonna get a drink," he mutters, getting up.

Kimberly calls after him,  _ "You should show me around your house." _

Turning on his heel, he squints at her. "You're stalling," he says.

_ "Well, you're going to get a drink, so you're not totally innocent, buster,"  _ she points out, grinning smugly.

He grumbles, "Yeah, that's fair."

Still, he goes up the stairs leading from the lab to his living room and grabs a glass of water from the kitchen, taking his deliberate, slow time so that he can soak in his thoughts.

And, so that Kimberly can soak in hers.

It's happening again. And it's not like he hasn't dated since they broke up -- he  _ has. _ It just never really turned out going well, and his best relationships, unfortunately, were always with other Rangers, even when he tried to date civilians. He doesn't really know how Clark and Lois do it.

It's a thing every new Ranger should try at least once, Tommy thinks, dating a civilian.

Makes them appreciate the big superhero-exclusive family/clique thing they have going on.

He sighs and jogs down the stairs with his glass of water.

Kimberly is still on the call, passing the time by going on her phone.

"Texting Kat and Tanya for advice?" he asks, smirking.

Her silent glare tells him yes.

_ "No," _ she mutters, tossing her phone back on the cushion next to her.

His phone buzzes next to the keyboard, and Tommy picks it up.

_ [KS 5:33 PM] Glad to see you taking initiative. _

_ [KS 5:33 PM] Also, Kim's freaking out but internally. As I'm sure you are. Remember: small steps. _

Tommy glances up at Kimberly, and she catches his gaze then narrows her eyes at the phone in his hands.

_ "Is that Kat?"  _ she asks, her eyebrows  _ and _ voice raising.

He opens his mouth to say no, and she pins him with a look that makes him reconsider greatly. "Uh, yeah," he responds, meekly.

Kimberly groans and grabs her phone, typing intensely. When she's done, she puts her phone back down and smiles triumphantly.

His phone buzzes again. He looks down.

_ [KS 5:35 PM] Oh my God, it's like you're clumsy but with secrets. You would ruin a surprise birthday party, I'm sure of it. _

_ [KS 5:35 PM] That hardly makes any sense, but I'm just. _

_ [KS 5:36 PM] I'm disappointed in you, Thomas. _

_ [KS 5:36 PM] Disappointed. _

"She called me Thomas," he sighs.

Kimberly giggles.

Tommy throws his phone back onto his desk and leans back in his chair. Crosses his arms and gazes at Kimberly.

To her credit, this time, she holds his eyes perfectly.

He looks away first, and that breaks the silence.

_ "If we're gonna do this,"  _ Kimberly starts, slowly,  _ "It's gonna be tough. It'll take both of us, and even then..." _

He nods, not having anything particularly useful to add. It's just a fact.

They're nine hours and thousands of miles apart.

He leans his head back, staring up at the ceiling, thinking.

Even then, they could still fall apart.

"Two-player game," Tommy says, looking back at her; she smiles the instant she gets it.

_ "We don't use quarters in France," _ Kimberly murmurs, rolling her eyes.

"But, you're in, right?" he asks, a bit uncertainly, "You want to try?"

Kimberly sighs, wringing her hands together in her lap. Some things never change, he notices. After a moment, she nods and gives him a small smile,  _ "Yeah, I want to give us a try again." _


	6. Head

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It hurts for her to do so, but Kimberly shoves a letter into an envelope and tells herself that it means nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is also for @kimberlyannharts on tumblr bc i KNOW how much u LOVE the letter abbey :)
> 
> references MMPR: Pink and acts as if was canon to 1996 (even tho MMPR: Pink takes place in a modern au shhhh); can be read here if u want but isn't necessary to understand everything: http://readcomiconline.to/Comic/Mighty-Morphin-Power-Rangers-Pink

**October 1996 - Miami, Florida**

_Dear Tommy,_

It's the logical thing to do, Kimberly tells herself.

_Everything is going great here in Florida. Coach Schmidt has me as ready as I'll ever be for the competition._

After Verto and Goldar, after St. Moineau, she can't stop thinking.

Every part of her body feels like it's being shocked with electricity.

Her problem isn't fire, now, but it will be. For now, it's lightning.

She used to be thunder, but now she's fizzled out. Her storm has passed, and all she has to show for it is regret, guilt, depression, and an emergency communicator.

_Tommy, this is the hardest letter I've ever had to write. You've always been my best friend, and in some ways, you're like a brother. Something has happened here that I can't explain. It's both been wonderful and painful at the same time._

It's a hard truth she has to face -- that everyone else who also left adjusted better than her. Trini and Zack have their volunteer work in South America, Jason isn't off brooding like she constantly is, and even Serge and Britt have plans for what they want to do with their lives, and they were only Rangers for _days._

Being a hero doesn't equate being a Power Ranger and vice versa.

_Tommy, I've met someone else. Tommy, you know I'd never do anything to hurt you. But I feel like I've found the person I belong with. He's wonderful, kind, and caring. You'd really like him._

Kimberly looks in the mirror. She doesn't see a hero.

Guilt sits on her shoulders, crushing and suffocating.

The remnants of The Power trickle through her veins -- maybe she's just imagining it. Maybe she's just sick, maybe she's just wrong for wanting _more._

Good people don't want more. Good people don't want more. She repeats it in her head, trying to make herself believe it, but she just ends up convincing herself that she's not the same person anymore.

Zordon had told her something when she left.

“Someday, when you return, you will be an even more effective Power Ranger.”

Kimberly tells herself that in the mirror then punches her reflection so hard that she bleeds. When her mom asks why her hand is bandaged up during the next time she visits for a Sunday family dinner, she lies about an accident during gymnastics training.

_Everything would be perfect if it weren't for hurting you._

There's so much she should be happy for -- a career, fame, a high school sweetheart, a family.

What teenager her age could say that they've been a class president, a pro athlete, _and_ a Power Ranger all before eighteen?

Yeah, maybe that's the problem, she thinks. She isn't that teenager anymore, and she has to face the truth.

It's not about someone -- it could be. Kimberly could sit there and think until her brain hurts about who it _could_ be, and she shoves down every thought of every girl that pops, unwarranted, into her mind.

But, really, it's more about _something._

Careers, moves, opportunities. Life changes, for better or for worse.

_But I have to follow my heart._

They aren't the same people anymore.

It's not enough to be his girlfriend -- for him to be her boyfriend -- when they're not the same anymore, when their life goals aren't the same, when they don't want the same things in the same ways.

_I will always care about you, Tommy._

He's an active Ranger. He lives and breathes the action.

She lives and breathes the guilt that she should've done more, should've tried harder to stay.

She lies to herself, despite all of that, because it doesn't truly feel over until it's about _someone._

_Please forgive me._

And, then, she lies to him in a letter, sealed with her last kiss, and signs her name at the bottom with a pink pen.


	7. Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kimberly stays up early to watch TV with Tommy across the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nanowrimo is heck like... i hate it but also i wouldn't be writing anything rn if i wasn't doing it this year so lmao i guess.jpg
> 
> anyway this is super short bc i've been working on a script for school and i just finished it and it basically drained my entire life so whoops

**May 2014**

"Alright, what're we gonna watch?"

Kimberly watches the cursor fly around her screen as Tommy browses the livestream.

It's late.

Like, _really_ late.

And she can feel a series of bad decisions looming on the horizon.

 _"Uhhh,"_ Tommy scratches his head, _"There's this show I've been meaning to check out that Ethan told me about?"_

"Yeah?" She reaches over and grabs her glass of water from the bedside table, trying her best not to knock her laptop off of her lap, "What's it called?"

_"Leverage."_

"Mmm, think I've heard of it, but sell it to me, anyway." She takes a sip of water.

_"Um, a former insurance agent and a group of thieves steal from the rich and right criminal wrongs? That's how Ethan sold it to me. Kinda like modern-day Robin Hoods."_

She nods, "Alright, sounds like I'll like it. Go for it."

 

* * *

 

_"Kim, is that the sun?"_

She muffles a groan into her blanket and stumbles out of bed as Tommy pauses the episode. "No, definitely not," Kimberly calls over her shoulder as she closes her blinds, squinting against the sun over the horizon.

Cuddling back under the covers, she rests her head against her pillow and sleepily blinks at Tommy.

_"You need to sleep."_

"I wanna stay up," she mumbles, burying her face into her blanket, "I wanna keep talking to you."

_"What was that? All I heard was mmmphfmphf."_

"Shut up."

The episode disappears off of her screen as Tommy closes the browser and gives her a pointed look, _"It's 8 AM, Kim."_

"Not yet, it's not," she counters, raising her chin ever so slightly. In a few minutes, it will be.

 _"Come on,"_ he tilts his head, _"We can finish when you've slept."_

"Fine," Kimberly huffs, "Goodnight, Tommy. Love you."

It slips out of its own accord. She doesn't really mean to _say_ it, but it'd been on her mind _and_ she's about eight hours past her normal bedtime.

She doesn't miss the bashful smile on Tommy's face. _"Love you, too, Kim."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is just a giant shameless plug for like my favorite show besides power rangers SO go watch leverage
> 
> do it


	8. Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Tommy is at prom in Angel Grove, Kimberly is visited by his date in Miami.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> at this point, the 90s-centric chapters will stop featuring tommy and kimberly together since u know they aren't together anymore
> 
> it's just gonna be more of like focus on either tommy or kimberly
> 
> and this may or may not be the first of many shameless kimkat pieces in this fic bc uhhhhhhhh kimkat is Awesome

**May 1997**

Kimberly lays in bed, staring at the ceiling. A squishy exercise ball is in her hands, and she throws it into the air every couple of minutes, sensing that her luck is about to run out.

A flash of pink light catches the corner of her eye, and the ball smacks her in the forehead.

She's too busy scrambling into a sitting position to care, though.

"Kat?"

The blonde stands right in front of Kimberly’s desk, her long, soft pink dress making her look more like a princess out of place in the middle of the messy room than anything else. Instantaneously, Kimberly recognizes it as Kat's prom dress -- half from just guessing and half from previously already sulking because she'd known what tonight was in Angel Grove.

"Hi, Kim," Kat says, her voice soft and casual like randomly appearing in her friends' bedrooms in her prom dress is what she normally does every Saturday night.

Kimberly blinks at her then scrambles up and makes sure her bedroom door is locked before turning around and dropping her voice to a whisper. “What are you  _ doing _ here?”

“I’m… visiting you,” Kat answers with a shrug.

“I can see that,” Kimberly says, slowly, “But you’re supposed to be, uh, elsewhere. Dancing. Having fun.”

Kat crosses her arms, “Speaking of dancing and having fun, have you changed your mind about next week?”

Kimberly sighs.  _ There’s _ the ulterior motive. It’s not quite as sneaky and evil as most ulterior motives she’s seen. Since Kat’s ulterior motives usually ran along the lines of “let me aggressively mother you.”

As it was currently right now.

“No,” she responds, shaking her head, “I already told you -- I’m not going.”

Kat’s brow furrows. “You used to be so excited about prom--” she starts, but Kimberly cuts her off, a little brusquely.

“Yeah,  _ used _ to be,” she mutters.

Well, in fact, it hurts her a little on the inside that she won’t be going, but she’s already told Kat that she made her decision weeks ago when a guy in one of her classes asked her out and she’d committed to telling him that she wasn’t going, period.

It’s just some stupid high school dance.

A Kimberly Hart who cared more about the things she did in high school would’ve wanted to go, would’ve jumped at the idea of anyone asking her, but she’s not that Kimberly Hart anymore.

Prom isn’t saving the world from monsters and evil space witches or their equally evil space emperor husbands.

"Does anyone know you're here?" Kimberly asks, only just slightly curious. She doesn't say it, but Kat knows.

She shakes her head.

Kimberly frowns. "It's not a big deal," she protests.

Kat tilts her head, "I'm not gonna make you go, Kim, but I just wanted to… make sure you're okay."

She looks down at her pajamas then shrugs, "Well, I'm fine."

Kat raises an eyebrow, says nothing.

She feels the urge to defend herself, even as Kat's blue eyes slowly pick her apart. "Even if I wanted to go, I can't," she says, "Jason's busy."

"Next week?"

Kimberly thinks about it for a moment too long then sighs and admits, "Fine. I told him I was busy and didn't wanna go."

"Why?"

"It's not a big  _ deal, _ Kat."

"Okay, okay," Kat holds up her hands in surrender, "It's not a big deal. But what  _ is _ a big deal is what's going on with you."

"I'm fine." At Kat's silence, she grumbles and amends, "I'm just stressed. You know, training, school, all that."

It's not a very good lie, but she doesn't need it to be.

Kat looks away and drops it, and Kimberly lets out a small sigh of relief that she knows was noticed. "Do you have any music to dance to?" Kat asks, glancing at the stereo on her bookshelf.

"Dance to?"

"Like, slow dance."

Kimberly snorts, chuckles a bit, "Why slow dance?"

Kat looks at her, fully serious, and shrugs, "Because I'm gonna ask you to dance with me."

Kimberly stops. Her chest constricts, and she swallows a stone. She looks Kat up and down, takes in how beautiful she looks, and shakes her head. "No."

"No?" Kat's eyes are too soft, too  _ caring. _ "Why?"

"Because--" Kimberly looks at the floor, at the carpet between her toes, "Because I don't want to hurt you." She bites her lower lip in worry and meets Kat's gaze, "I don't-- I don't want to  _ touch _ you."

Kat tries her best to hide it, but Kimberly catches how she takes just a small fraction of a step backwards. Her dress softly ruffles in the silence of the room.

"You should get back," Kimberly says, ignoring how her heart sinks at how incredibly sad Kat's eyes look as she nods in mute agreement.

"Bye, Kimberly," she murmurs, pressing a button on her communicator, and in a flash, she's gone.


	9. Distance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hardest thing about living long distance, Tommy thinks, is not having anything to talk about when you finally meet up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guess who's BACK AT IT WITH THEM HETS
> 
> GGPR #12 killed me with tomberly feels so i had to write something for them, i swear i'll update legacy eventually rip
> 
> bumped up the rating to T for implied vague sexual content

**June 2014**

Officially, while Kimberly was in New York for a week for press things, she was supposed to be in a hotel room for one. Tommy stays with her, not that they'd really discussed it beforehand. It'd gone something like Kimberly telling him over a video call that she'd pay for his flight -- which he'd tried to protest but she wasn't having it -- and then she'd met him in the hotel lobby and said he was staying with her.

And that was that.

They hadn't really done any talking after, so.

If asked -- and Tommy knows that Kat will eventually ask -- why they ended up moving this fast, he has to admit that he can't really say. Maybe it's the time or the distance all crashing together, nearly twenty years of ignoring each other and purposefully making sure that they didn't end up going to a reunion event that the other was at. Maybe it's them just not thinking because of all of those things.

Not that the thought even crosses Tommy's mind as Kimberly pins him against their hotel room door and presses her lips in bruising kisses against his collarbone.

 

* * *

 

Kimberly is pretty busy for most of the week, leaving Tommy to hang out with Kat and Tanya who, unsurprisingly, have lives of their own. If Kat has classes to teach, then he spends the day with Tanya who does have things to do like work on her new album, but her work, at least, can be done from the comfort of their own home.

Speaking of comfort.

"I don't know how you can stand all this noise," Tommy comments as he hears another ambulance wailing in the distance. He's sprawled out on Kat and Tanya's couch, hugging one of their throw pillows to his chest. It's a pastel pink, typically.

"That's just what living in the city sounds like," Tanya replies, humming to herself as she applies another coat of polish to her toenails, foot propped up on her coffee table. “Lemme paint your nails next.”

“It’s just so fast,” Tommy complains, shaking his head. “And, thanks but no, I bite my nails.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t do that.”

He shrugs. “Lots of things I shouldn’t do.”

"Like sleeping with Kimberly right after you landed?" she asks. Tommy drops the throw pillow on the floor in surprise. Tanya quirks her eyebrows at him and says, reproachfully, "Pick that up. Kat doesn't like it touching the floor."

He picks the pillow up, dusts it off a little, and puts it back on the couch, feeling like he's about to get the lecture of a parental lifetime. From his friend younger than him, no less. “Um, I don’t have… any idea what you’re talking about,” he lies.

“You’re terrible at lying.”

“We-- we didn’t--” he fumbles.

Tanya stares at him, sternly.

Tommy sighs. “Fine, we did.”

She reaches over and smacks him on the ankle, which is the closest she can get without getting up from her armchair.

“Hey!” Tommy exclaims, “Look, we’re both consenting adults, so… don’t mother me.”

“I’m not mothering you,” Tanya says, “I’m just implying that you and Kimberly need to talk about a lot of things before you guys get more serious. Which, apparently, is useless advice since you skipped over all of that anyway.”

“So? What about it?”

 

* * *

 

“Yeah,” Kimberly echoes him from days ago, “What about it?”

He brings it up to her a few days later when he and Kimberly are in their hotel room, after their night out with Kat and Tanya and Lauren and Mia, who Kimberly had invited along. It’s not like Tommy minds hanging out with their friends, but he still has something on his mind. Which would be everything that they haven’t talked about.

Tommy shrugs, tapping away at a game of Words with Friends that he’s playing with Adam. He has all vowels, and Adam is, unfortunately, winning by sixty points. “I don’t know, just… Maybe she’s right, there is some stuff we should talk about.”

Kimberly gives him a look that he can’t quite read. “We’ve got a lot of time.”

“Like twenty years’ worth of time?” he asks. It comes out casually, and he doesn’t look up until he realizes that Kimberly hasn’t spoken in a minute.

She has her arms crossed and is staring at him, her journal and pen on the table forgotten. “What do you wanna talk about then?” Kimberly asks, her voice cold and short.

“I…” Tommy falters, uncertain. “We should spend tomorrow together,” he says, instead.

Kimberly raises an eyebrow at the subject change but goes along with it. “Isn’t that what we’ve been doing?”

Tommy grips his phone, not wanting to put it down even though Adam’s waiting on him to make a move and he clearly isn’t going to make one any time soon.

It’s a safety object for him in this conversation right now, something to hold onto because Kimberly is about to slip away.

“I mean, not just me and you,” Tommy murmurs, “Tonight, everyone was there, and last night, we went out with Kat and Tanya--”

“Am I not allowed to have friends?”

“What? No! I mean, yeah, obviously. They’re all my friends, too, but just… we haven’t had time to ourselves.”

“I remember a bit differently,” Kimberly says.

Tommy clears his throat. “I meant a night out or something. Just me and you, sitting down for dinner and talking.”

“What is there to talk about?” Kimberly snaps, suddenly, her jaw clenched. Tommy flinches and grips his phone tighter, his knuckles turning white. This is not how this was supposed to go. “You wanna talk about all the shit that’s happened to us since we broke up? You wanna talk about Trini? Billy? Jason? All the things we weren’t there for in each other’s lives? Because I know, Tommy -- I mean, I wasn’t there, but I know. I heard when you got your new team and I heard about Anton Mercer, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure that if your research helped create Mesogog and the Tyrannodrones, then that means you were doing shit with things you shouldn’t have been doing shit with.”

“This was a bad idea,” Tommy mutters, getting up from the bed and putting his phone in his pocket. He doesn’t know what he’s going to do after getting up -- he could leave since this isn’t his room, but all his stuff is here and… Is he really going to start packing up and leaving? Is this worth that?

“Like Mesogog and all of that was a bad idea,” Kimberly responds, standing up, too, and going to stand in front of him, trapping him between the bed and her. Well, he’s bigger and taller than her, so he can just step aside or walk by her, but it’s by principle that he doesn’t.

“You’ve got shit, too,” he counters.

Kimberly shifts, a bit uncomfortably, and he knows he’s about to touch a nerve, but Tommy softens his voice to avoid that. “Why haven’t we had a moment to breathe since we got here?” he asks, quietly, “Are you scared of what’ll happen if we’re alone together? Because I know I am.”

Kimberly scoffs a little. “We’ve already been alone together.”

“Not like that.”

She doesn’t answer him, thinking and staring at a spot on the carpet, running her thumb along her lips, deep in thought.

Tommy sighs. “I was trying to find a way to bring her back,” he admits, finally, the first time he’s ever done so, “I figured if I helped Anton with his research, then I could use what I knew to… make our team whole again.”

Kimberly’s eyes snap up to meet his gaze, and her mouth falls open in shock. “Wh-- Tommy, that’s--”

“Impossible, I know,” he finishes for her then gently pushes her aside and brushes by. “Stupid to think I could try to change the past.”

He’s at the door when Kimberly calls out, but then again, he had been deliberately stalling on putting his hand on the handle.

“Tommy, wait.”

He turns around, and she’s there, pulling him into a hug by tugging on his shirt. Without hesitation, Tommy wraps his arms around her, holding her tightly.

“I’m tired of running,” she murmurs into his shirt.

He kisses the top of her head. “I am, too.”


End file.
